Commit To The Grind

As part of her training to run her first full marathon, Meredith Fitzmaurice ran half-marathon races. At one of these events, namely the Run for Heroes Marathon, Meredith planned to do what she had successfully done at similar events – to complete the half marathon route. Meredith and other runners lined up at the starting line and began this grueling race. At some point along the route, she glanced at her watch and wondered where the finish line was, as the run seemed longer than usual.

Moments later, Meredith realized that she had taken the “wrong” turn and was running the 26.2-mile full marathon route. In fairness to the other runners, she asked a bike marshal if her time would count toward the full marathon. The race official along with the race director determined that no rules were violated, thus giving Meredith the green light to continue the race. After 3 hours, 11 minutes, and 48 seconds, Meredith crossed the finish line in 10th place.

The story gets better. Meredith didn’t simply cross the finish line. She won the women’s race two minutes ahead of the second-place woman, capturing the women’s title in the process. So what started out as a missed turn actually qualified Meredith to run one of the world’s preeminent annual marathons–the Boston Marathon.

It was not a coincidence that Meredith won her race that day. Before Meredith laced her running shoes that morning, she had already determined her reality. Meredith’s goal was to run a full marathon, and her reality became a reflection of what she did on a regular basis – she committed herself to the grind!